Marketing techniques should not be complicated; rather, it should represent a simple and straight-forward art of achieving a successful business. While there are several marketing techniques and approaches out there, only a few are really effective. In this piece, we will discuss three pillars of any marketing technique, after which we will discuss the most effective marketing techniques out there. These techniques are not only simple to understand, but they are also effective.
Samples of Effective Marketing Techniques
- Message
Message is definitely one of the most effective marketing techniques. Message contains the ‘what’ and ‘why’ a prospective client is about to buy. It is the heart of any business marketing, and once the heart of a marketing technique fails, the essence of it is as good as dead. It is the charm that compels a buyer to a particular product or service. When the right message is not delivered to a potential buyer, then the result will likely be meaningless. On the other hand, a compelling message sent to the right market – set of people that needs the products or services – will do the trick any time, any day. At the end of the day, all energy, money, time and other resources used will be worth the stress.
- Market
The market is the “who and who” that needs a particular service or product. It is a group of people who are most likely to be interested and willing to buy an organization’s product. These people are the individuals a seller must target with his/her message in order to hit the bull’s eye. The sales message can be delivered through sales letters, print ads, landing pages and sometimes, more effectively, through digital marketing such as use of social media, etc. So, the goal here is to send the right message to the right recipients – the market – through the right media. The question: How to reach a targeted audience – the intended market? Privacy is no longer a right, but a privilege, as everybody’s details are no longer far-fetched due to the virtually all-knowing power of the digital world we live in. So, getting the names and address for nearly any target market is now fairly an easy process. The access to brokers has paved the way to easily find a targeted audience. Once the details of a market have been adequately outlined, all it takes is to contact a broker and describe who to look for. For instance, by subscribing to ‘Psychology Today’ and having preference for people of such specifications like height of at least seven feet, drive a BMW, live in South, people with such attributes can be known. It may not be a very large list, but nevertheless it still exists.
- Media
This is the delivery system. It is the conveyor that ferries a compelling message to the targeted audience, without it, no link can be formed between a seller and a potential buyer. Be it through magazines, newspapers, newsletters, social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., the media is a vital pillar to any effective marketing technique. Considering the market is very important in selecting which type of media to use in conveying a message to the market. For instance, in targeting audience of above 65 years of age, there is a very high probability that a good number of them do not use social media as a medium of sourcing for information on their needed products, rather to communicate with family and friends. These set of people are more likely to be conversant with local newspaper and their cell phones. They probably listen to radio and watch TV quite frequently. Hence, the delivery system of business messages to such people has been figured out. But in addition, the only way to truly know is to ask clients and prospects. This takes us to the next discussion – the market’s targeting methods.
- Targeting the Market
For the purpose of this piece, we will discuss the three most effective targeting methods in the market. They include: Geographic Targeting Method One popular way used to target a market is through the geographic method. The method works by selecting a specific location e.g. 10 miles’ radius. This is a simple way to choose a market, but not as effective because it is like dropping flyers out of the plane and hoping one lands with the right person. Demographic Targeting Method Yes, a bit of an exaggeration but with a few simple tweaks, geographic method can become a more effective marketing. This is achievable by using the Demographic targeting method. Demographic targeting is selecting audience by age, gender, how much money they have, whether they are conservative or liberal, or what religion they practice, single or married and so on.
- Psycho-graphics Targeting Method
Psychographic targeting deals with customer’s behavior, attitudes, interests and lifestyles. It is useful when segmenting a market. This can be very powerful (and effective). Plus, it allows customization of marketing messages based on whatever market segment an organization desires. It is worthy to note that, the combination of the three methods is possible and effective through the use of cloud based programs, such as Adobe Marketing Cloud, Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketing 360 and many more. It is recommended to check any of the open source solutions too. And sometimes, simple details such as audience’s contact info, spending power, wants and needs, and how often, can be analyzed through excel, which are quite useful in targeting an audience. While it is possible to dwell more and more into the topic of discussion, it would ultimately lead to information overload. The summary, however, remains; keeping good customer lists, learning what an organization’s prospective clients want and becoming the “go-to” company that fills their needs. It is as simple as that!
